Andiron construction



July 18, 1950 J. J. BLOCKINGER ANDIRON CONSTRUCTION Filed March 20, 1947 (Ittornegs w 3 PL a 1 W a 2 Wm F Y Hm Patented July 18, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" ANDIRON CONSTRUCTION James J. Blockinger, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, as-

signor to The Galanot Products Company, Al-

liance, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March- 20, 1947, Serial No. 735,858

2 Claims. (01. 126-298) The invention relates to andiron construction for use at a fireplace front opening to provide from time to time a clearway in the space where a usual andiron front upright extends. This may be desirable on theone hand when the fireplace opening is protected by a screen having forwardly swinging hinged. doors, or on the other hand when placing woodlogs into the fireplace. In usual andiron construction with a rigid upright front member, it is very diflicult to place large pieces of wood or logs into the fireplace behind the front member, and when a screen has beenused including hinged doors which may mount panes or slabs of heat resistant glass, it has been usual to place the andiron back of the door because the rigid upright front member of the andiron prevents the opening of the door when the rigid upright front member of the andiron is placedin front ofthe door.

Placing the andiron inside the fireplace between the glass in the door and the fire, results in the andiron becoming dirty with an accumulation of soot and smoke and also produces tarnish on the andiron. l l

The objects of the present invention include the, provision of improved-andiron construction which is operative to provide a clearway across the top of the top'hoi'izontal member of the andiron so as to permit the easy insertion of pieces of wood into the fireplace in which the'andiron is used, and when used with a screen having outwardly swinging doors, which permits the placement'of the andiron in front of the door, and the provision of the clear'wayzwhen it is desired to swin the door outwardly. Furtherobjects of the present invention includeithe provision of? s'uchan improved andiron construction in which the parts are of simplified form and arrangement, and adapted for easy and economical manufacture.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the andiron construction, parts, combinations, and sub-combinations which comprise the present invention and the nature of which is set forth in the following general statement, and preferred embodiments of which are set forth in the following description, and which are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims forming part hereof.

The nature of the improved andiron construction of the present invention may be stated in general terms as including a base having front and rear feet carrying an upper horizontal member. At the forward end of the horizontal member, a longitudinally extending front member has at one end a pivotal connection with the horizontal member and extends longitudinally from the pivotal connection, whereb-ythe front member is adapted to be swung about a horizontal axis between an upright position and a forwardly extending horizontal position substantially parallel with the horizontal member. Preferably spring catch means are provided for releasably maintaining the front member in the upright position.

By way of example, preferred embodiments of the improved andiron construction of thepresent invention and of improved parts thereof, are illustrated in the accompanying drawing. forming part hereof, in which 4 4 ..1

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an andiron including the present improvements in combination with a fire screen shown in fragmentary front elevation, the fire screen having a forwardly swinging door, and the andiron front member being shown in its upright position; 1 i

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation view thereof; and i v Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 in which the andiron front member is swung forwardly to the horizontal position.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing. v

The illustrated embodiment of the andironincluding the present improvements is indicated generally by l0, and is shown in combination with a fire screen indicated generally by. H, the fire screen including a rectangular frame indicated generally by 12 which extends across thefront opening of a fireplace, not shown. The frame I2 has a horizontal bottom member I 3 from each end of which extends upwardly a vertical side member H. A door indicated generally by I5 is mounted for swinging forwardly by hinges IS on each side memberi l, and as shown the door includes a door frame I! in which is mounted a pane or slab l8 of heat resistant glass.

The improved andiron I 0 includes a base indicated generally by I9 having sets of front and rear feet 20 and 2| which are spaced from each other and which support respectively the front and rear ends of an upper horizontal member 23.

The improved andiron Ill furthermore includes a normally vertically extending front member 24 having an end 25 located at the upper side of the forward end 26 of the upper horizontal member 23 of the base l9 and provided with the depending feet 3Badapted to be located vertically against the back of the front feed 20 of the base when the front member 24 is in upright position, as best shown in Fig. 2, and to be located horizontally above the base when the front member 24 is swung into horizontal position as shown in Fig. 3.

Pivot hinge means indicated generally by 2'! connect the end 25 of the andiron front member 24 with the end 26 of the andiron base upper member 23, the pivot means 2,1 having a pivot axis 28 which :is perpendicular to a vertical plane extending through the upper horizontal andiron base member 23.

The andiron front member 24 is swingable between the upright position shown in Figs. 1- and 2 and the forwardly extending horizontal position shown in Fig. 3 which "is substantially parallel with the upper horizontal andiron base member 23.

As shown, the rear feet 2! are abutted against the front face of the screen bottom member [3, and are preferably secured thereto. Spring catch means 29 are interposed between the front end 26 of the andiron base upper member 23 and the pivot connected end25 of the andiron. front member '24, and the spring catch means 29- serve to releasably retain the andiron front member 24in its u ri ht, osition as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, gi;

p g p necting the adjacent end of the front member which is the position it occupies most of the time, providing the usual decorative effect of a usual rigid andiron.

When the andiron front member 24 is swung to its lowered horizontal position as shown in Fig. 3, clearway is provided for placing pieces of wood into the fireplace through the front opening thereof, and when the andiron I0 is combined as illustrated with thescreen l I clearway is also provided for permitting 'each door IE to swing forwardly across the top of the and iron base I 9 and the lowered andironfront member 24, which are below the door.

The embodiments of the present.improvements illustrated and described herein are by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited tothesame or to the particular details thereof, but is commensurate with any and all novel subject matter contained herein which may at any time properly under the patent laws be set forth in the claims hereof or originating herein, and the elements of any such claims are intended to include their reasonable v.mechemical and functional equivalents.

1. In ,andiron c,onstruction, a base having spaced pairs of front and rear'feet and an upper member extending between and supported on the feet, a normally vertically extending front member, the base upper member including a forward end, and thevertically extending front member including an 'end adjacent the base mem- Eli 4 ber forward end, and pivot hinge means connecting the adjacent end of the front member with the forward end of the base upper member, the pivot means having a pivot axis perpendicular to a vertical plane passing through the base upper member, and the andiron front member being adapted to swing from an upright position to .a lowered ,position substantially parallel with the base upper member, and a pair of feet connected to the normally vertically extending front member and extending oppositely therefrom beyond the pivot hinge and adapted to be located vertically against the back of said front feet of the base when the front member is swung to upright position and to be located horizontally above the upper member of the base when the front member is swung into lowered position.

2. In andiron construction, a base having spaced 'pairs of front and rear feet and an upper member extending between and supported on the feet, a normally vertically extending front member, the base upper member including a forward end, and the vertically extending front member including an end adjacent the base member forward end, and pivot hinge means conwith theforward end of the base upper member, the pivot means having a pivot axis perpendicular to a vertical plane passing through the base upper member, and the andiron front member bein adapted to swing from an upright position to a lowered position substantially parallel with the base upper member, and a pair of feet connected to the normally vertically extending front member and extending oppositely therefrom beyond the pivot hinge and adapted to be located vertically against the back of said front feet of the base when the front member is swung to upright position and to be located horizontally above the upper member of the base when the front member is swung into lowered position and "spring catch means operative between the base and the front member for releasably maintaining the front member in the upright position.

JAMES J. BLGCICENGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

